One more day Version 2: Natara's code
by But I Have Promises To Keep
Summary: When Mal is forced to kill Natara, can he figure out her code and catch Genevieve Collins? Rated T for gory death.
1. Chapter 1

**So in this version Mal kills Natara…I don't know what my obsession is with making them kill each other is maybe I'm just messed up. Anyways, hopefully your not sick of me making them die. Because seriously someone needs to call child protective services because I'm abusing the characters. So far, of the four fanfic's I've written I've killed Jacob Fallon, killed Margot (a character I made up) killed Mal and (spoiler alert) Natara in version one of this and blinded Natara. So, I'm an 'abusive author' according to my friend. But sometimes the characters talk to me in my head (whether my characters or not) and I swear their suicidal. Please don't call me crazy for that. It's just sometimes I feel like I have a whole world up there. So, I'll shut up about my character murders**.

Prologue  
>Mal knew when that that shot sounded, that the bullet ripped through Natara's body, that it was over. It was all over.<p>

_Natara has eight hours to live_  
>She walked out of her long-term hotel building, opening the door of Mal's car and sliding into the front seat, almost dropping one of the many files and her laptop bag as she got in.<br>"Think you have enough stuff there?" asked Mal sarcastically as Natara got situated.  
>"I told you I think I have a break in the Genevieve Collins case."<br>"What brought this on? You had nothing earlier." he asked as he made his way to the station.  
>"Amy heard the Flores Cartel headquarters in Mexico was raided. Someone found some of her 'souvenirs'". The word souvenirs sent a chill down both of their spines, they knew all to well what kind of sick objects her 'children' crafted out of human suffering. They pulled up to the station, Natara getting out first and impatiently waiting for Mal. Mal slowly got out knowing he really wasn't particularly exited about a lead to Genevieve. Finding her meant Natara would leave, and he would never see her again. They walked inside, finding that Captain Yeong was waiting for them with a odd and unreadable look on her face. Seeing them, she rushed forward as if the whole world depended on her getting to them.<br>"Agent Williams, were you contacted by a confidential informant about the Genevieve Collins case?" she asked without a greeting.  
>"No, I had been looking over several files from the case though, why?" she asked.<br>"I was told to give you this, and no one else." She handed her a sealed envelope. Natara took it, and saw written in blood red ink 'For Natara William's eyes only' written on the front. She slowly opened it, the suspense rising as the they craned their necks to be the first one to catch a glimpse at the mysterious letter. Natara read it out loud in a hushed whisper. "Dear Agent Williams, I have information on Genevieve Collins. I wish to remain anonymous. If you want the information I have to offer you will show up at a small red boathouse out by the docks in the south side of the city. Section 13C. Come alone". At the ominous ending the three looked up at one another, each searching for another person who had gotten more out if it then themselves. "Well that was dramatic" said Mal sarcastically. Captain Yeong glared and Natara smiled. "Think we should go?" asked Natara.  
>"I don't think we can afford not to" answered Captain Yeong. She turned to Mal "There's a chance its an inside informant and wants to help but is controlled by fear. Go with her, it could be a trap. Keep hidden". She walked off at the sound of a phone from her office without another word.<br>"Guess that's decided" said Mal.

_Natara has seven hours to live._  
>A half and hour later they pulled into a small and cheaply paved parking lot. Natara got out, making herself clearly visible as she walked to a small red boathouse on the outskirts if the docks. The docks themselves looked old and abandoned, like the waves had worn away the wood itself. She walked slowly in the building, and after the pre-arranged one minute waiting period, Mal followed, gun drawn. He got out, not closing his door for the noise. He quickly crept closer, his left shoulder on the wall, he waited for any noise. He was so concerned with the sound that could come he never heard someone come up behind him. He never heard the small footsteps from behind. But he felt a cold and small hand hit his neck with a sharp blow. He felt disorientation as his vagus nerve filled with blood. He heard, as the last thing before everything went black, Natara's scream.<p>

_Natara has three hours to live._  
>Mal woke up to a small and dingy basement. Water dripped from the ceiling. Cold chilled in the room, and Mal could feel a tingling pain in his neck. He tentatively sat up, leaning back in the wall. He suddenly remembered Natara, her piercing scream. "Nat…" he attempted to yell, but found his voice low and raspy, finding it painful to speak. He paced the room like a tiger, running his hands along to walls for any form of escape. But wherever the door was, it affectively melted into the brick. He pounded his hand in various places, trying to find a hollow noise. Finally after what felt like day, but what was really a few hours, he sat down, his head in his knee's. Then he heard it. Natara, screaming again. And she sounded like she was in terrible pain.<p>

_Natara has one hour to live._  
>Mal couldn't bare it, hearing anyone, especially someone he cared about, scream in that way. Hours passed, but to him it felt like years. Situations played in his head, horrible things they could be doing to her. Each one worse than the last. Eventually the screams resided, and Mal's mind jumped to the worst. Eventually the door, a small one that melted into the wall, opened. A sack, or at least that's what Mal thought it was, fell through, brief light filling the room then disappearing. When he saw a flash of coffee colored hair, he knew what it was. "Nat!" said Mal, his voice somewhat better. He ran to her body, finding it was still warm, that her heart still beat. Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth, her eyelids spasmed over her eyes. She moaned weakly. Picking her up like a small child, Mal carried her to the opposite wall, propping her up against her shoulder and cradling her limp body. He looked, she had no wounds and could only imagine what they had done to her. He felt something hard at her side, in her jacket. He reached in, pulling a scrap of paper out and a gun. He replaced the paper and looked at the gun, one bullet. And he knew what it was for. Natara's eyes widened, and seeing Mal she instinctually cringed in pain. "Nat, are you alright?" he asked. She had jumped away, sliding away from Mal with unexpected speed. He could see her eyes in the dim light of the single yellow lightbulb above, they were wild and have lost a layer of sanity. Her hair was singed in places and was wildly messy around her face, giving her the look of an untamed animal. She was muttering to herself, saying unheard words. "Nat, Nat it's okay" said Mal, approaching her.<br>"Get away from me!" she yelled, screaming. Her eyes were almost popping out of her head "Don't touch me!". Mal slowly got closer to her, not meeting her gaze. "Kill me" she whispered, her voice suddenly calm and steady. Mal almost didn't hear her. He looked up at her, expecting to see insanity in her eyes. But they were normal now, wide and fearful, but sane. And in a way that was worse.  
>"No, Nat. I don't care what they did to you. We're going to get through this" said Mal firmly.<br>"Kill me!" she yelled. She leaned in, pulling him into an odd sort of hug. She felt her hand go in his jacket, and felt a paper slip in with it with it, just near his chest. She slipped tbe paper into a hidden pocket of his jacket. "If you love me you'll kill me" she whispered "it's me they want…they don't need you…you don't know who they are…they'll let you go…" she almost whined. "I heard them…I know…"  
>"Nat don't make me…" he started, but she quickly pulled away from him. She backed against the wall, trying to get away from him. Her body language suggested she wasn't in the right mind, but her eyes knew what came out of her mouth "KILL ME!" she screamed. Mal picked up the gun. He knew one bullet would do him no good against who knows how many of his captors. There was only one use for it. He raised it, and wanted to look away. He knew Natara knew what she was saying, and it was her decision. That he had to do it, that she was begging. He heard a bang, but was not aware that he had pulled the trigger. Mal knew when that that shot sounded, when the bullet ripped through Natara's body, that it was over. It was all over. <p>


	2. Chapter 2

Mal was shocked at what he had done. Natara fell back into the wall, her chest exploding in a bloody mess. The brute force of the bullet forcing her to take a step backward before she was pinned to the wall. She crumpled, her knees buckled. She fell sideways, her head slamming onto the stone floor. Her fingers twitched for a moment, then she went eerily still. Mal let the gun drop from his hands, landing with a clang on the floor. He simply stood there, numb. He knew running to Natara's side would be useless, she was gone. Her body already going cold. He leaned back on the wall, utterly shocked at what he'd done. He allowed himself to fall, so he was sitting down. He put his head in his hands, thinking 'this can't be happening…It can't…". He pinched himself in a pathetic effort, hoping somehow this was a bad dream. A nightmare that the sun could chase away. He pushed his palms into his eyes until it hurt, lifting them and opening his eyes to see darkness briefly swimming in his vision. He room already smelled with the coppery scent of blood, and it made his nose burn as he lifted his head. He didn't want to look at her…at what he'd done. But he couldn't help but let his eyes drift to Natara's limp form. To see the blood pool around her, like waves creeping up the shore. It spread like a blanket until it lapped at his shoes. 'How much blood can one person have?' he thought, moving to avoid the blood as if it were acid. Sounds of struggles came from the place in he wall where the door had been. It fell on deaf ears, Mal was too shocked to listen and comprehend what it meant. He felt no curiosity at what was going on behind the door, he doubted he would ever feel curiosity again. He heard his name called by a familiar voice, along with Natara's. The door burst open, and Ken and several police officers burst through the brick door, the sound of breaking hindges bouncing around the room. Light followed them in, blinding Mal. Yelling various things and sounds of a struggle. A cry of "Get off me pig!". Someone, Mal thought Ken, ran to Natara. An unfamiliar voice came to Mal, asking "Mal, are you okay?". Mal didn't respond, but cringed away from the light. Whoever it was gave a sigh of relief, saying "He's alive". But then he heard it. Ken's voice. "She's not."

Whoever loomed over Mal helped him up, grabbing him firmly by the shoulder as if he were a dog that may bolt. He was taken out of the room, but a sudden realization came over him. He couldn't leave her, Natara. Not here. "Nat!" yelled Mal, his voice once again raspy and barely audible. He cried her name again, turning and trying to go back for her. Whoever it was, Mal knew the voice was female, held him back. "She's gone Mal" she said "she's gone."

Anna, whom Mal finally saw was the one who held him back, took him outside. They had walked through several rooms, they appeared to be in some sort of large mansion. They exited the building, police and ambulances flashed. Paramedics and cops alike milled around, and as they exited they goggled at Mal like children viewing a strange and exotic credits at a zoo. Somehow, he guessed Anna drove him although he remembered none of the ride, took him home. He walked into his apartment building after going up what seemed endless steps. After walking in the door, without even thinking he pulled the paper Natara had slipped into his jacket. At first it looked like the paper Natara had received that morning. Then he flipped it, and saw several letters written in a dark red liquid, as if painted on. It was a jumble of random letters, reading: OCZT FIJR. NVIOV XMPU. RZNO. NRVOVMV. NIVFZ. WZY. YJJM.  
>Mal looked again, examining the ink itself. It was written in blood. Whatever was written must have been important, because Natara had written her last words in her own blood.<p>

**If anyone cracks the code, please comment because then that means you are a genius! (I did not make the code up).**


	3. Chapter 3

Mal wasn't aware that he'd dropped the paper, that it fluttered to the ground like a crimson stained snowflake. He numbly stepped over the paper, leaving the paper on the ground. He walked back to his bed, flopping down and curling up like a wounded animal, finding sleep immediately. As if his mind had been waiting for some escape.

Mal woke up late that next morning, at first wondering why he still had his shoes on. Why he was covered in blood. Then it came back in a rush, the realization of what had occurred hitting him like an iron fist. Despite the evidence, he was not ready to believe what had happened. He washed off the blood from his skin, getting clean clothes. As he walked out, he couldn't help but grab the bloody paper, now dried, and tucking it in his jacket as he walked through the streets of San Francisco to the station. His plan was to walk in normally, as if he acted like nothing had happened then the world would follow. That Natara would walk in, whole and alive. As he entered, his unconsciously walked straight down the stairs to the climb lab, whispers following in his wake. He ignored the stares, acting as if all was right with the world. Like he hadn't killed his best friend, his partner. He reached the bottom of the stairs, opening the lightweight door. Amy had her back to him, clearly trying to hold back tears. Kai was near her, awkwardly patting her back. When the door closed with a light thud, she looked up. Her eyes were puffy and red. Kai looked broken, like he had lost part if his normal self. Mal had never seen him so docile. His face was blank and calm. Amy walked over to him, giving him a comforting hug. "We know what you did for her" she said in his ear. Mal felt his heart go still. She knew. "It's not your fault". She added, pulling away from him. Mal ignored what she had said, wordlessly reaching into his pocket and handing her the note. Amy took it, looking questioningly at the side with the letter. She then flipped it over, seeing the blood smear on it in the jumbled letters. "I'll see if I can decipher it" she said quietly. Mal looked at Kai, almost expecting a stupid comment. But he simply looked at him with wide and blank eyes. Another reminder of how things had changed. Mal turned to go, but Amy put a hand on his shoulder. "There's something you need to see" she said. She walked over and handed him several photo's. The first few were a hand and forearm, deathly pale. Mal knew who's it was. The fingernails were bloody and had bits of flesh in them. The left forearm had deep gashes, the skin was clearly ripped open with fingernails. He looked at the last photo, the left forearm. The hand, like the other one, had bloody fingernails. His eyes drifted up the arm, and then he saw it. Just above the crook of the elbow, crudely cut into the intentional shape it was. The festering flesh around it was old and caked with dried blood, but the single shape was visible. A a large 'V', or maybe a arrow. Drawn right into Natara's very flesh. And just like the note, Mal knew it must be important enough to be written in suffering.


	4. Chapter 4

Mal simply looked at the picture. 'What is it?' he thought, looking at the strange arrow type shape. 'What does it mean?'. He didn't understand. 'Am I suppose to know what this is?'. He thought back to everything she'd said before she'd died.

_"Get away from me! Don't touch me!" she yelled in Mal's mind "Kill me…" she pleaded in a whisper. _  
><em>"No, Nat. I don't care what they did to you. We're going to get through this" said Mal firmly. <em>  
><em>"Kill me". She pulled him into an odd sort of hug, it was so real, he could almost feel her warm hand slip the paper into his jacket. "If you love me you'll kill me" she whispered "it's me they want…they don't need you…you don't know who they are…they'll let you go…" she almost whined. "I heard them…I know…"<em>

"Mal!" cried Amy's voice, pulling Mal out of his daze. He blinked, he wasn't with Natara. He was standing in the crime lab, Amy was in front if him, a look of concern in her red eyes. "Maybe you should go home." she suggested. Mal wanted to protest, but found himself with nothing to argue with. Wordlessly, he turned around and left, leaving Amy to watch him go. He walked up the stairs, not looking at a single person as he rushed outside. That didn't mean no one watched him. But as he walked he acted as if no one did, as if nothing had happened. Ad he got outside, he remembered something Natara had said when he acted like this after Tasha had been killed.  
><em>"It's called denial, and it's the first stage." she had said. <em>  
><em>"I deny that I'm in it."<em>  
>'Well I don't deny I now' he said as he walked, and knew there was no way he could ignore hats where he was. It was so easy to be in that stage, so easy to pretend nothing had happened, nothing was wrong. If he believed it, then he would lose her forever. He remembered what she'd said, just before she'd died.<br>"If you love me you'll kill me"  
>He had killed her, after she had said that. Had she said it in insanity, or was it an act? Mal liked to think it was, because the alternative was unbearable. Yes, he had feelings for her, but had stayed away. There were boundaries, and her's were very high. If she had cared for him back…then that made things much worse. Because then not only had he murdered someone who was his best friend, his partner. He had killed someone he loved, and someone he loved back. Not only had he done that, if he'd refused to do it, had waited a few more hours for rescue. She would be here right now.<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

Mal, after going on an extended walk, returned home very late. The sky had darkened from a combination of night and storms yet to come. He walked across the room, pushing past the perpetual amount of boxes to the couch. There, he flopped down, and never made it to his bed before he fell asleep.

That morning he woke up, planning to find answers from the code from Amy. Whatever Natara was trying to communicate, it was Mal's job to act on it. He walked into the station after walking that morning, somewhat bothered by the fact he no longer needed to pick Natara up at the station anymore. Whispers followed him, and more piercing stares. 'Do they think I'm a murderer?' thought Mal, but realized. At this point, it didn't matter what they thought. All that mattered was finding what Natara needed to communicate so badly she'd written it in her own blood. He walked down the stairs, finding Amy furiously typing on her computer, a complicated series of numbers on the screen. Ken was leaning over her, trying to look to. Kai, for once, was silently working in the corner. "Find anything Amy?" asked Mal, making her jump. She whipped around, her eyes big like a deer caught in headlights. "Mal I'm sorry…" she started, but Mal knew that was a 'no'.  
>"What do you mean 'sorry'?" he almost yelled. He wasn't mad at Amy, simply frustrated at the fact there was nothing.<br>"Mal, this is a ridiculously complicated code, nothing fits-" she started, her voice shaking, obviously close to tears from his words.  
>"Natara <em>died<em> to give us that message, and your stupid computer can't even figure it out!" he yelled, finally finding an outlet to his rage.  
>"Lay off of her!" yelled Ken, taking a step closer to his as if to intimidate Mal.<br>"Yeah!" agreed Kai, and for a brief moment everyone looked at him for his sudden outburst.  
>"Well if Amy could figure out this stupid code!" yelled Mal "Maybe we could…" his voice trailed off. What could they do? It wouldn't bring Natara back. It wouldn't mean anything.<br>"Maybe we could what?" said Ken. "Natara is dead! Nothing is going to bring her back!" he finally yelled, then added "You killed her!". With that, Mal couldn't take it anymore. He ran, or rather stomped out of the room, fleeing the building.

He fled to the only spot he knew, the curb outside of Natara's long-term hotel building. It was a ridiculously long walk, but Mal felt he had list them. That was until he heard soft and familiar footsteps approach, heard someone sit next to him. "It's not fair, what she made you do" said Amy, her voice soft and forgiving.  
>Mal ignored her comment "I'm sorry, for getting mad earlier."<br>"It's okay, I know it's stressful, she left you something to do and you feel you have to do it. But you don't have to do it alone. Ken, Kai and I, we want to help you. It's times like this we need to stick together, not push each other apart." She paused "Ken said he's sorry, and hopes you don't feel betrayed."  
>"It's fine, I shouldn't have been yelling at you in the first-" But he was cut off by Amy's suddenly widened eyes and gasp.<br>"Betrayal…Hold on, I think…I need to make sure!" she said excitedly, running away and leaving Mal.


	6. Chapter 6

Mal went to follow Amy, but she was long gone. It began to rain half-way there, as the sky had been threatening to do so since yesterday. He had quickly lost Amy in the darkness, for she had sprinted away, and walked alone in the rain. After long time Mal, who now bore the appearance of a wet dog, entered the station. Amy had clearly just ran downstairs, presumably after gathering various papers, for several people looked at the bouncing door where Amy disappeared, and loose papers were all over the ground. Ignoring the mess made in her wake, Mal followed where Amy had presumably gone, rushing down the stairs and almost slipping from the wetness of the concrete steps where Amy just stepped. He entered the crime lab, where a soaking wet Amy was typing furiously on a computer. Several papers, blank and written on alike, were placed haphazardly around her, clearly just placed on the table. Several of them were the shots of Natara's cut arms, others copies of the message written in blood. Mal looked around, Kai and Ken had obviously left. "Amy, what the heck is going on?" asked Mal.  
>"Mal, did anyone ever tell you who took you and Natara?" she asked, furiously typing, writing and studying the pictures."<br>Mal felt stupid all of a sudden, if he was trying to solve Natara's code that was obviously an important detail.  
>"No" he said, barely audible.<br>"It's was the Flores's. They sent the letter, and after finding several of Genevieve Collin's 'souvenirs', we believed they were trying to hide that fact that they were helping her. We think Natara was getting too close to finding out they were helping her, and captured and tortured her to see what she knew. They also raided your car and destroyed any evidence. All of them have been arrested, including Esme and Carlito, but have been heavily defending that they have nothing to do with Genevieve" she explained quickly. "What does this look like to you?" she asked, holding up the picture of Natara's forearm with the arrow-like formation cut into it.  
>"An arrow?" guessed Mal.<br>"Maybe, what if it's something else? That's what I thought at first too, but I don't think it is". She said excitedly.  
>"Amy, get to the point" said Mal harshly, trying to keep his anger under control.<br>"A 'V' Mal, it's a 'V'".  
>"And how did betrayal come into this?" he asked.<br>"I think it's written in a Caesar code. Simple if you know the code letter, horribly complex if you don't. _Et tu Brutè, _Mal_. Julius Caesar?"_  
>"I will never understand how your mind works. So you think the letter to the key is a 'V'?" he asked.<br>"Yes, I think so. Caesar codes rely on a single letter deciding on how the letters shift. If this is a Caesar code, we'll have our answer any second now."  
>As if in cue, her computer chimed like an oven timer. One result had come out, showing behind several of the windows she had up. She clicked the window to focus it, and the deciphered code appeared clearly on the screen. Shining on the screen, Mal bent closed to read the words: THEY KNOW. SANTA CRUZ. WEST. SWATARA. SNAKE. BED. DOOR.<p>

_To be continued…_

**Caesar codes do exist! I learned how to do them, and found they are a great way to pass messages between people who know the code letter. They are names after Julius Caesar, who was the first person to think of coded messages. (I'm reading _Julius Caesar_ right now, thus the nerdy history fact right there) Shout out to _mozzi-girl_! Only person who reviewed and totally made my day to know my hours of writing go appreciated! Thank you! **


	7. Chapter 7

Mal was taken back at how perfect the code was, how as Natara was tortured she was still able to think of this brilliant code. He was also confused, these were random words. 'THEY KNOW'. He took that 'they' were the Flores's. That they knew something about Genevieve. 'SANTA CRUZ'. The Santa Cruz was a mountain range not far from here. But as for 'WEST. SWATARA. SNAKE. BED. DOOR.' that was a mystery.  
>Amy and Mal simply stared at the screen, as if a spell had come over the two, they were unable to take their eyes off the words. "It's amazing" said Amy eventually "That she was able to recall how to write this after she'd been tortured. Mal remembered Natara's wild and untamed eyes. How in her last minutes of sanity she's deliberately put herself in more pain just to get this message to them. Then he realized, he hadn't killed Natara. Natara had been long gone before that bullet had pierced her heart. Her last words of sanity had been when she'd whispered "Kill me…" or when she's slipped the paper into his jacket. The woman who had recoiled at his touch, had yelled and screamed to be killed, that wasn't her. The real Natara had left before she had died, and the real Natara had begged for death before her mind betrayed her body and broke. Had maybe asked for a gun, and had been granted one because they knew, at that point, she wouldn't break. She'd held back her insane outbursts until she was away from them so they didn't see her weakness. And this may have been the cause of her deteriorating into madness. They sat for a long time, together trying to understand what it meant. Looking over papers and evidence, maps of the Santa Cruz mountains. Nothing came up, but after a while Kai and Ken both walked in, shocked at their appearance. Mal realized, he had been so engrossed in what he'd been working in he'd missed the fact that morning had come. He and Ken made brief eye contact, a thick awkwardness fell over the room, made worse by silence. Eventually Kai broke it, and Mal was shocked at the calm and seriousness of his tone. "Natara's mother called, they want the body for burial soon."<br>"We can't release it until the full investigation is over" said Amy. And that was how it was, Natara would never be laid to rest until they had figured out what she wanted of them. With that thought in mind, Mal picked up more papers, reading over them for anything that could have relevance to those few stray words: ''WEST. SWATARA. SNAKE. BED. DOOR.'


	8. Chapter 8

Mal kept his eyes on the paper, hiding from the icy layer that had settled over the room. The angry words from yesterday hung around the room like a ghost. Amy looked from Mal, to Ken to briefly Kai. Everyone else looked at Mal, Mal avoiding their gaze. It was painfully silent until Ken broke the silence and looked at Mal "I'm sorry man. It wasn't your fault". Mal knew what 'it' was, gave a nod. Amy gave a sniff, and the two turned to her somewhat smiling face. "You guys are so _stupid_!" she yelled. Then they all couldn't help but smile. Shaking herself, Amy got back to work. Ken and Kai somewhat awkwardly joined them, and they hadn't even started when Ken said "You guys didn't figure out 'WEST. SWATARA.' yet?".  
>"No, why? Should we have solved it already?" asked Amy.<br>Ken looked bewildered that he knew something she didn't "Yeah, 'West Swatara' was a camp out in the Santa Cruz mountains. East Swatara was where the rich kids were sent, West Swatara is where juvenile delinquent boys were sent. I knew people as a kid who were sent there, I thought everyone knew about the murders that happened years ago."  
>"What happened?" asked Amy, looking equally bewildered.<br>"There was a cabin, one they would put two boys who were caught fighting in to 'solve their differences'". I knew people who were there at the time. Anyways, the boys got into a fight and one of them strangeled the other. The camp was shut down and abandoned after that. The cabin had a name, they all did. I don't know what it was."  
>At that Amy began furiously typing, as the others kept liking over the files. "Any idea of what 'SNAKE. BED. DOOR' means?" asked Mal.<br>"No, but how did you guys even get these words?" asked Ken. For the next ten minutes Mal explained as best he could about the Caesar code to Ken and Kai, even though Kai seemed to already know what a Caesar code was. After he was done, Kai looked like he was going to slap himself. "I should have seen it earlier" he said.  
>"Kai" said Ken seriously "this sound weird, but I kinda miss your stupid comments. Stop being so serious."<br>Before Kai could respond, Amy gasped and said "Guys? You need to see this". They all looked at the screen, which bore a newspaper article titled 'Local Boy Killed in Cabin, West Swatara Camp'. Below the title was the article itself, a photo of the cabin where the boy was killed. It was large and old, and Ken was right. Each cabin had a name, and the name of this cabin was 'Snake'.


	9. Chapter 9

It had been decided wordlessly. This is what Natara had heard, what she had know that she wasn't supposed to. It was decided that they were going to the camp. Ken and Mal, and Mal knew a few others would be tagging along also. He knew this was what she wanted, and hoped after this the message all would be clear. 'BED. DOOR.' he remind himself. Bullet proof vests were handed out, and Mal thought he saw another FBI agent come to help in the group of people gathering to go. It was a long drive, and Mal ended up driving with Ken, Anna Willis and several others. After several several hours, they began to drive on rough dirt, the pavement fading away as they neared where the camp began. About a half a mile they stopped, walking the rest of the way since they were unsure what they would find there. They neared the camp after walking a dirt path, finding night had crept in as they neared the abandoned cabins. After a while, they neared the familiar building from the picture. It had fallen into despair since the photo was taken, the wood rotting. Mal quickly glanced at Ken, and the two silently withdrew their guns and slowly approached the building. The five or so others followed. Mal went first, letting the door creep open at his touch. Musty darkness greeted him, and he had to cover his mouth not to cough from the amount of dust from the room. He went in first, turning in the flashlight on his gun as he entered, keeping it in front of him as if ready to shoot. He heard the others come in behind him, making the same struggled not to cough and disturb the natural silence. Mal noticed the ground felt like it was covered in sand, and used his flashlight to see what it really was. It was shimmering and black, like dark dust. "Coal" he heard Ken whisper to everyone behind him. "Watch it, one spark and this whole place could go up in flames". Mal approached the semi-darkness carefully, and hears the others spread out to search for anything unusual. It was Ken who called several minutes later, silently and horsily "Over here". Mal and the others, who's faces were indistinguishable in darkness, gathered around where Ken stood. His hand was where a pull-out bed was in the wall, but Mal noticed it looked much less aged and was the only pull-out bed in the entire building. Ken pulled it, and it landed on the dusty ground with a deafening creak and crash that made everyone cringe. There it was. Right behind the bed was a clearly recently-made door. One, where judging from the sign over it was where they stored the coal to keep the buildings warm.  
>Ken pulled the bed away, the creaking and scraping noises echoing across he room and causing several people to tell Ken to be quiet. He looked at them curiously and said "Figured they already know where here". Now the big question wasn't the code, it was who or what was behind that door. Ken went first this time, and the others looked timid to follow until Mal confidently stepped behind him.<p> 


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry this is so short an if it sucks the rest of this did not turn out as planned.**

Steps. It was all Mal knew was in the room. Not only was it dark, but coal dust was so thick in the air that flashlights couldn't penetrate it. Everyone shut them off, they were useless. Mal knew they were going deep underground, the small amount of warmth lingering in the night air was gone. It was difficult to remain steady on the sifting ground beneath them, the resting coal dust was thickly laid on the ground here. As they neared the final steps they could see it. A yellowish light, as if from an aging light bulb. The area fanned out, and they speed out to look. It was one room, but was made into a labyrinth by semi-darkness and piles of coal. Then Mal heard it. A sharp voice that was all-too familiar. It said stop, and as Mal turned and trained his gun on her, Genevieve clearly didn't plan on going down on her own. She was holding a recently lit torch, and Mal knew if anyone made a single move she would drop it. That there was only one esacpe from the room, and Genivieve wasn't planning on getting out this time. She was planning on dying on her own terms, and by those terms they were all going down with her.


	11. Chapter 11

Her face was set, and every eye and gun was trained on her. She didn't need to say if anyone shot her they would all die. Mal looked at where he was standing and mentally slapped himself for where he was. Everyone else was simply on coal dust, he was partially on a broken down pile, small amounts of the substance was still intact and packed in small lumps. He was quite literally a dead man walking. For a moment he assessed the situation around him, if she dropped the torch he was the only one that would have certain death, him and Genevieve. The others had a chance, if they had forewarning. It was as if the was frozen accept for Mal and Ken, Mal gave him a look. Ken seemed to sense what her wanted to do, but her kept his face straight as he nodded. Mal turned back to Genivieve, and he knew he was about to end the stalemate they were at. He shot at her twice, and he knew they both made their mark. She fell, the flames crawling to other others, but coming as a wall to Mal. Before he could even move they engulfed him, and the last thing he heard before his vision went from red to black was retreating footsteps.

_Mal opened his eyes. He was surprisingly in no pain, in fact her felt nothing at all. He was in the station, only it didn't look anything like he had see seen it. It was empty and peaceful, sunlight shining through the windows. No, not empty. She was standing there, still as a statue. He walked toward her almost unconsciously, but she still did not move. She was unmoving, to still and sure for prayer. As he neared her, she turned around. "Mal" Natara said. She smiled and wrapped her arms around him, and he did the same. "You solved it" she whispered as if thanking him. Then it all faded away, and Mal was in darkness again. _


	12. Chapter 12

**Sorry about the cheesiness of the headstone couldn't resist :D **

Mal groggily opened his eyes again, this time feeling pain as sharp as ever. He heard a feminine squeak, and someone give him a half hug. He looked up to see it was Amy, her face was shining with tears. For a minute he didn't understand, then he realized. He was somehow, still alive. He looked over to see Ken, and judging from the bandages up his arms he was the one who had pulled him out of be fire. He smiled "Thought we lost you for a minute there".  
>Mal returned it "I thought so to". He looked at Amy "What are you crying about?".<br>She looked utterly shocked. "Mal, you were legally dead for three minutes. Your lungs collapsed, then somehow you came back."  
>He looked at her, bewildered for a moment. Then smiled at her "What? You think I can handle a little fire?".<p>

_Two Weeks Later_

Mal stood among the multiple mourners, many of whom stared back at him curiously. Mal couldn't blame them, the fire that almost took his life had left his face heavily scarred. Neha was standing next to him, and although her sisters death wasn't so fresh anymore she still wept for her. Natara's family had invited him out to where would finally be laid to rest, and Mal had gratefully accepted this invitation. Her coffin was being laid down to the earth, where she would never be hurt again. Neha cleared her throat and whispered to Mal "It's funny, how lives can be completely ripped apart, people torn away. But still, life goes on". She gulped down another sob. "My fathers not to happy about it, but I'd really like to go into criminal justice like her."  
>Mal nodded "I think Nat would have liked that". Mal could see the words on her headstone, right below her name. 'But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep'. Natara did have promises to keep, and had kept them through Mal. She had gone miles, and now she could sleep, where nothing would ever harm her again. <p>


End file.
